Week Two: A Runthrough of My Duties

As Deck Chief of Barney and Bee it is my job to make sure that everything is working backstage and that everyone completes their preset and runs through the show smoothly. More specifically, my call is an hour before curtain where I vacuum the stage, sweep the floors, set the stage, make sure the prop tables have the correct props. That all the liquids are filled. That all the technical tricks the crew is apart of is working and the way I left it the night before. The biggest trick I have to look out for and maintain is the dining room table. It is set up to perform a trick that looks like all the place settings are going to fall to the floor. All the settings are tacked down and the plates are connected to a metal track underneath the table top. Each week I check the bolts and nuts making sure that the trick won't fall apart. There is a plaster drop that is also used during the show that must be refilled and cleaned before each show. It is important to keep it clean and maintained so that the trick works when my stage manager calls "go." During the show, I have to hand off props to the actors, catch props as they come running off stage into a quick change and be sure that I won't be seen by the audience when they come running through doors. Thus far I think the run is going well. The actors are nice and respectful, we have a good working relationship between us. During tech week the designers and technicians worked reasonable well and the fact that it was such a smooth run probably helped in that matter. My crew works well together, I have known the wardrobe person for awhile and we have worked on many shows together, so it's always a pleasure working with her. Having another person on run crew also makes my job easier; I have another person to help me with my preset, and post show, its nice to know that I have someone who I can bounce off of and we can help each other out.

Week One: Tech Week

I have spent the last three weeks building the set for Renaissance Theaterworks' production of Barney and Bee. I am working with Tony Lyons and Amanda Cervenka as their apprentice and all around helper. I constructed many flats made from 2x4s and luan in preperation for the production. Since the play takes place in a dining room of a British flat, walls and doors are the bulk of the set and we spent a lot of time making sure they could hold up enough door slamming they could take for four weeks. On Sunday we loaded in the twenty some platforms that the set will sit on. The set itself is raised about three feet and so it has to sit on twenty some 4x8 platforms. It took all evening to set up the platforms and when we were finally done it was already the wee hours of Monday morning and we called it quits. Early Monday morning we came in and worked a full day installing the rest of the set. I mainly helped put up platforms, walls and their support beams. I left early evening because I still had a full week of tech left. Tuesday Morning I came in and was introduced to all the props I would be looking after. I set up prop tables and the green room. I met the other person that I will be working backstage with and we waited around for the actors to arrive. With tech finally beginning things were going so smoothly, I couldn't believe it! We got through the entire show on Tuesday night! That never happens, and it was infact the start of a easy teach. Wednesday was our full 10/12 day, but being a technician I was there for at least 13 hours. We got through the show once more, worked out some acting that the crew and myself had to do. The arms of the crew members will be visible on stage throughout the show. This is my first ever acting gig, and so I was taking it very seriously. We had to work through out "lines" with the actors and reach a point were we both felt comfortable and could continue on. With two run throughs under our belts we made one final one and called it a night. Thursday was an easy day, we came in and ran through the show and had a preview at night. Friday we didnt have rehearsal and only came in four our opening night call! The show went very well, and it was well recieved by the audience, onto Saturday and Sunday!